North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch
KNOBSTICKS Autumn 2026
Hard at work finishing repainting Trent & Mersey Lock 42
Photo: Tony Walker
Editorial Welcome to your “new look” edition of Knobsticks. “Why the new look?” I could claim that we decided it was time for a refresh, but the truth is much simpler. For nearly 20 years (since the Summer issue of 2007 to be exact), I have edited Knobsticks using Microsoft Publisher software. Sadly, Microsoft have decided to kill “Publisher”. Not only are they stopping support this October, they are also removing it from “Microsoft 365” which is the suite of programmes that I rent, so I will no longer be able to use it. Yes, I could possibly buy an old stand-alone copy of “Publisher”, but there would still be no support for any future problems. So, this issue is being produced using the much simpler Microsoft Word software. This has meant that I needed to make some changes to the look of the magazine as “Word” couldn’t cope with some of the layout choices that I had made whilst using “Publisher”. Firstly, “Word” isn’t keen on swapping between single and multi-column format (especially on the same page), so the decision was made that all pages would now have a single column of text. That decision then meant that I had to consider changing the font size. Why you may ask? Let me explain. This was the font size (10) that I was using. It worked quite well with our 2-column format, and let me get lots of information into the magazine. However the switch to a single column format doubled the length of each line and made it much more difficult for the eye to easily follow along each line without getting lost.
I tried the next size up (11) and it was definitely better, but the eye still had a tendency to wander at times and get lost. Nevertheless it is usable, and indeed it is used in several of the tables in this issue. It may also, occasionally, be resorted to when I have a lot of information to cram in!
So, I settled on the next size (12) for general use as being much easier for the eye to follow and generally pleasing to read. I hope you agree! Finally, “Word” couldn’t handle having a different header for each article which was repeated on each page of that article, so article titles (e.g. “Chair’s Report”) now only appear at the start of the article. Anyway enough of the excuses, on with the magazine! Roger Evans Page 2
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Chair’s Report Hopefully you will already have seen the appeal for more people to step forward to support the Caldon and Uttoxeter Canals Trust, which is in imminent danger of having to fold as it has too few active members to support a committee and enable it to carry on as a viable organisation. If you or anyone you know could commit to supporting CUCT’s committee, it could make the difference between keeping them going and losing the trust. [Ed: See the article on pages 6-7 headed “A Critical Appeal” for more information about the help they desperately need] This could not be happening at a worse time. The Caldon Canal is (as I write on 31st July) about to be closed from Etruria to Cheddleton due to low water levels, although Hazlehurst and Cheddleton Locks, then Stockton Brook Locks, have already been closed for some weeks. The current CUCT team have campaigned tirelessly, but there is so much more that could be done if only more people would step forward to help them. We cruised the Caldon Canal early this summer, after the Etruria Canals Festival, as did several of the Fund Britain’s Waterways campaign cruisers, who went on to post glowing social media comments about how beautiful a canal it is and how much they had enjoyed their visit, despite the shallow bits! There is definitely scope for a similar programme of regular work parties along the Caldon, for example to smarten up the lock flights, as already takes place on the Cheshire Locks. Both Bedford Street Staircase and Planet Lock in Shelton would look so much better with a fresh coat of paint and I am sure there are local community organisations who would be glad to work with CUCT, IWA and/or CRT to make this happen. Autumn 2026
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I had a thoroughly enjoyable morning a few weeks ago talking about our local canals to refugee and asylum-seeker children at the ASHA charity in Stoke-on-Trent, where Sonning and Huddlesford made lots of new friends! Their adult service users often help Friends of Hanley Park with community activities and are glad of opportunities to be of service. I had hoped to get something in motion but, unfortunately, events have overtaken me a little just recently. Some of the Stockton Brook Locks also need a fresh coat of paint, ironically because someone who somehow believes they are protecting British heritage has daubed red crosses on the white ends of the balance beams and nearby Stoke-on-Trent boundary post. I have no words…
The defaced boundary post Equally depressing was the vandalised state of the White Bridge near Stoke-on-Trent Boat Club, which I note was reported on the local BBC news in 2023! Page 4
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Our greatest concern was the condition of Hazlehurst Locks, where the ground is clearly sinking just above the bottom gates of each lock. Surely the most likely cause of this is water egress? CRT have even put orange hazard mesh fencing around the sunken areas at the bottom lock because they are such a trip hazard, but I can find no current or future notices indicating planned works at this site. A breach or similar major incident here would completely cut off the section to Cheddleton and Froghall and it is hard to see a financially-challenged CRT prioritising its restoration.
Hazlehurst Bottom Lock Without access for navigation, canals risk becoming overgrown, weed-clogged rubbish dumps. It would be a desperate waste of a wonderful waterway if the Caldon Canal fell out of use, so retaining another voice alongside ours to champion it could not be more important. Article (& Photos):Sarah Honeysett Autumn 2026
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A Critical Appeal Please help the Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust! IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch members will be aware of the history behind the restoration of the Caldon Canal back in the 1970s, with the successful reopening in 1974 following on from the creation of the Caldon Canal Committee in the 1960s. That committee was formed by Stoke-on-Trent Boat Club and local Inland Waterways Association members. It went on to become the Caldon Canal Society, a registered charity, which later changed its name to the Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust (CUCT). CUCT has recently written to its members warning that without an injection of new blood the Trust is in jeopardy. For more than half a century, the organisation has been at the heart of canal campaigning and restoration in North Staffordshire. From the early days of the Caldon Canal Committee fighting to prevent permanent closure, through the successful restoration led by the Caldon Canal Society, and later the expansion of our mission to include the Uttoxeter Canal and the 2005 restoration of the lock and basin at Froghall, plus the work on and around both canals as part of the Churnet Valley Living Landscape Partnership, we have always been driven by passionate volunteers determined to protect and enhance these wonderful and historic waterways. Today, however, we face a difficult moment. The current Committee group of active volunteers is too small to effectively continue; especially as some must take a step back after many decades of service. Without new people stepping forward to get involved, the Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust will have no choice but to wind up at this year’s AGM. This will be held on Tuesday 8th September 2026, at Stoke on Trent Boat Club, Endon Wharf, Post Lane, Endon, ST9 6DT; doors will open from 7:30 pm (refreshments available) for the meeting to commence at 8 pm.
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Please put the AGM date in your diary now and plan to attend. But, in the meantime, please do get in touch if you are willing to get involved, whether local to our canals or by participating remotely via today’s technology to help with campaign communications. If you care about the future of these remarkable canals — and the legacy of the organisation that helped to save and nurture them — we would love to hear from you. There are many ways to contribute, whether you have time, skills, enthusiasm or simply a desire to make a difference. As IWA members you will be aware that this is a critical time for campaigning for the future of the Caldon Canal as part of Britian’s waterways network. Your involvement is needed as much as ever. Please contact the CUCT Trustees via alison.smedley@cuct.org.uk if you can help in any way. Julie Arnold (Chair, Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust) Ed: A look back at happier times below:
Beatrice in Lock 13 at Cheddleton on Sunday 28th September 2014. This was the start of the official ceremony to celebrate the reopening of the Caldon Canal there 40 years previously. Photo: Waterway Images Autumn 2026
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CRT start restoration of Harecastle Tunnel Portal
Volunteers help restore Harecastle Tunnel ahead of 250th anniversary CRT have begun work to restore the north portal wall of the historic Harecastle Tunnel in Kidsgrove, Staffordshire, helping to spruce up the area ahead of the 250th anniversary of the Trent & Mersey Canal. Constructed under the direction of pioneering canal engineer James Brindley, the tunnel was a landmark achievement of the early Industrial Revolution, dramatically improving the movement of goods between the Potteries, the Midlands, and the Port of Liverpool. Its creation helped transform Staffordshire into a centre of industrial innovation, and it remains one of the county’s most recognisable engineering landmarks. The project focuses on the James Brindley side of the tunnel portal in Kidsgrove, which is the original entrance to the first Harecastle Tunnel built in 1777. The restoration work has been made possible thanks to generous support from local civil engineering company CPC Civils, which has donated £5,800 towards the cost of the specialist scaffolding required to safely carry out the repairs. The contribution is helping CRT Page 8
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volunteers and conservation specialists access the historic structure and undertake the work needed to preserve it for future generations. Working from the scaffolding, volunteers will use hand tools to remove the wall grown vegetation to reveal the portal’s original brickwork. Where possible, native canal plants such as spleenwort and hart’s tongue ferns will be removed and replanted elsewhere along the canal. These plant species are typical of damp, shaded brick and stone structures on historic waterways and, although small, contribute to local biodiversity by providing valuable habitat for insects and other wildlife. Relocating them will help preserve the ecological character of the canal. The volunteers will then carry out small masonry repairs and repointing using traditional lime based materials, finished with a coat of limewash to help protect the masonry just as the tunnel was originally built. This restoration forms part of the wider Staffordshire Waterways Celebration for 2027, a county wide programme marking 250 years since the completion of the Trent & Mersey and Caldon canals. Events across Staffordshire will highlight the role of canals in shaping the region’s industrial heritage, its communities, and its landscape, while also offering a chance to reflect on the ingenuity of its creators, including Brindley and, later, Thomas Telford. It will also celebrate the volunteers, local businesses, and communities who continue to care for the canal today.
Tunnel in use in 1905 + North Portal in 2006 before work started Article & Photos: abridged from CRT website page:
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/news-and-views/news/our-volunteers-helprestore-historic-harecastle-tunnel-ahead-of-250th-anniversary
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Planning Report
Original proposal (building very close to the canal)
Revised proposal (building further from the canal)
As planning officer for NSSC within the city confines we often get successes and failures when we raise an objection! However, one very recent success is that in respect of application ref. 25/FUL/00523 for 8 padel courts, associated accommodation, access road and parking on land off College Road, Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent. We objected to the proposal (above, left) on the following grounds:1. The new buildings are too close to the elevated canal towpath. 2. The proposal fully turns its back to the Caldon Canal as a heritage and tourism asset. 3. The proposed elevation to the canal is a severe face of metal cladding. 4. The raised canal towpath is of concern as along the Caldon Canal there have been problems of an historical nature. Page 10
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5. The proposal being at a lower level than the water level in the canal is of great concern. 6. Additional supporting buttresses may be required as subsidence may be a problem. 7. There are minimal proposals for screen planting and green ground cover. 8. It is therefore paramount that any proposal be situated further away from the canal water and its towpath. This could be in the form of a more green and tree planted area or parking which could give access for future maintenance or remedial work to the canal retention wall. 9. In order to retain the function of the building and allay our above concerns the options could be to reduce the number of courts or, preferably, to relocate them much further back from the canal. 10. However, our greatest concern is the design of the building which lacks any character and this has a negative impact upon the conservation area in which it sits. On behalf of the NSSC of the IWA I cannot support this application. As a result of our objection and others from CRT, CUCT, and Potteries Heritage Society (of which I am a member) a revised proposal ( previous page, right) has recently been submitted which takes into account most of our points raised. So, in this case, a successful outcome. Dave Broome
Burslem Port: Work Party News It’s been a funny old year as they say! Earlier in the year I had to call off many Friday mornings due to the weather – the very wet kind of weather. But now, over the last few weeks, I’ve had to call them off because of the other sort of weather – the baking hot, roast you alive sort! So I’m afraid we haven’t made quite the progress I’d hoped for. But the good news is that Paul has just joined our gang, so on a good day there could now be six of us to stand around chatting etc. But soon we hope to get help from fit young students from Newcastle College. Let’s see how they get on? All-comers welcome on Friday mornings from 10-12. Dave Broome Autumn 2026
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Social Programme
North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch Friday 9th October 2026, 7:45 for 8pm Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust Update Speakers from LHCRT will give us an update on the substantial progress they have made in recent years with the restoration of the Lichfield Canal, as well as an overview of the history of their waterways and their future plans. Friday 13th November 2026, 7:45 for 8pm Cheddleton Flint Mill George Edwards and Nick Smith from this absolute treasure of a small industrial museum beside the Caldon Canal will give us a presentation about its history and restoration, plus future plans for the straddle warehouse over the canal. Friday 11th December 2026, 7:45 for 8pm “Peaky Boaters!” No longer sworn to secrecy, Rupert and Alison Smedley will tell us what happened when the makers of this year’s Peaky Blinders film needed to borrow some narrow boats for the big screen… Friday 8th January 2027, 7:45 for 8pm A Life Afloat Steve Wood shares some adventures and observations as a continuous cruiser since 1999, firstly on Bream, his converted Fellows, Morton and Clayton narrow motor boat and, more recently, on the River Weaver aboard National Historic Ship Iris Abbott. Page 12 KNOBSTICKS
Friday 12th February 2027, 7:45 for 8pm To be confirmed (T&M-focussed topic likely). Friday 12th March 2027, 7:45 for 8pm AGM We say this every year, but we really would love to see more members and supporters attending and we really do need more people to share the tasks undertaken by our committee, even if they don’t formally take on committee roles. After the official business, we will have a film show or a quiz. Friday 9th April 2027, 7:45 for 8pm Restoring the Trent and Mersey Mileposts Roger Evans, our own Knobsticks editor, and Chairman of the Trent and Mersey Canal Society, on how 93 missing mileposts were tracked down and reinstated, or replaced, along the Trent and Mersey Canal between 1977 and 1985. Additional dates for your diary Saturday 19th September 2026 Daytime family social event organised by the Stoke-on-Trent Boat Club Friday 4th December 2026 Trent and Mersey Canal Society Christmas Dinner at the Red Bull Admission to AGM/talks is FREE Donations to waterway causes welcome! Refreshments available. Non-IWA members very welcome Venue (unless otherwise stated): Stoke on Trent Boat Club Endon Wharf, Post Lane, Endon STOKE-ON-TRENT, ST9 9DU For further information contact: Sarah Honeysett (01782 772295) sarah.honeysett@waterways.org.uk
or visit the branch webpages www.waterways.org.uk
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Summer Events Review
This year we were able to visit the Etruria Festival by boat but, as usual, Alan dropped me off and then helped with the setting-up (fulfilling his “tall person” role). Judith helped us on our stall and she was also there on the “Beatrice” stall, so was able to get me home at the end of the day. Other help on the stall included members of Stoke Boat Club and two young Chinese ladies (Yun and Fang) who were staying at Alison’s. The Garden Festival theme was a success and the film shown in the warehouse was fascinating. As usual, the B.Arts people did a fantastic job of dressing up. There were two boat horses in attendance; one in its working harness, and the other in its special occasions “finery”. We then attended the Middleport festival by boat. The first week’s weather was pleasant. The second week LOTS of TORRENTIAL RAIN (oh, where is it now !!). The third week was the start of the first heatwave. Page 14 KNOBSTICKS
Saturday was very quiet for us on the stall; we think because we were in the corner at the back. However, on the Sunday morning, myself, Alan, Sarah and Jon all had the same idea to move the position slightly so we were more visible. It worked! Again help came from the Boat Club and Judith. Another horse – a “Percheron” – was there on the Saturday, being harnessed. Even Darth Vader (from Endon) was there on Saturday with his entourage! Then followed a leisurely cruise to Middlewich for the “Midsummer Middlewich” festival [Ed: a new event, NOT a renamed “Folk and Boat”] where I helped on the Trent and Mersey stall and was kindly invited to bring my IWA Lucky Dip (which made £45 for branch funds). Thanks to Roger and Margaret. Also thanks to Gill & John Watson for allowing us to use their mooring and also their hospitality for the weekend, including our now traditional fish & chip supper on the Friday. Finally, again thanks to everyone who helped out at any of the events. Anne Chetwyn Photos: Alison Smedley (except the horses: Alan Chetwyn) Autumn 2026
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The Boating Adventure of Sonning Bear Sonning Goes to London At the beginning of May this year, our human guardians went down to London for a weekend, to meet our friends Mrs Claudia and Mr Tom from the USA, who travelled on the Little Trains of Wales with us last summer. Because human guardian Polar was taking her big camera, she said she only had room for one Bear in her bag, so they would take me with them but the other Bears would have to stay at home, which was rather sad. We caught an early train down from Kidsgrove, then made our way to a nice little apartment they had rented very close to St Paul’s Cathedral. Our friends, who had flown in from the USA the night before, were just getting up when we arrived, because they had overslept due to something called “jetlag” which can happen when you fly long distances between places with different time zones.
As soon as we had all enjoyed coffee (or tea) and croissants, it was time to set off for the station again, as we were making our way to Paddington Station and then along to Little Venice, because the Cavalcade Canal Festival was taking place. I love Cavalcade – it is so colourful, and I was looking forward very much to showing our friends all the boats and stalls. We were also meeting some of human guardian Grizzly’s relatives from that part of England, including some little human cubs. Page 16
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We all enjoyed a picnic together in Rembrandt Gardens and then Polar took me to meet some of the IWA staff who were looking after the information stalls, who had read my stories but never seen me in the fur. Because our friends were still recovering from their journey, we did not stay out late. There was time to visit the Paddington Bear statue at the station and the Paddington Bear bench, then we caught the train back to St Paul’s and we had coffee and cake (which Polar had bought for us) for tea.
The following morning, all of the humans were up and about early, as we had another busy day planned, involving more boats. This time, we were going to catch a fast river boat along the Thames and visit the Maritime Museum at Greenwich.
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I had a marvellous view of the Tower of London (which I visited with our human guardians in 2023, when we brought Uplander II to Cavalcade) and Tower Bridge and, further down the river, we passed the lock gates into Limehouse Basin and the high tower blocks of Canary Wharf. Hanley and Huddlesford visited Greenwich in 2023, but I had never been before and thought it was super. The buildings are very elegant that make up the Royal Naval College and make a dramatic contrast with Canary Wharf across the Thames. Our friends wanted to see Queen Anne’s House first, which has many great works of art in it, including a famous painting of the Battle of Trafalgar painted by Mr Turner, and also the lovely Tulip Staircase.
Our human guardians and their friends spent a lot of time reading about history and looking at the art. I could hear my little tummy rumbling as it was a long time since breakfast, so I was very pleased when we made our way next door to the National Maritime Museum, as it has a café. Page 18 KNOBSTICKS
The humans had a nice little lunch and I had some flapjack with fruit and seeds in it, which is ideal food for Small Bears having adventures.
With a full tummy I felt much keener to learn all about pirates and explorers, sailing ships and sea captains, and very much enjoyed the rest of the day at the museum. We went back to our apartment by train and, although I was rather sad not to be out on the river again, it was exciting changing trains at London Bridge Station and seeing The Shard skyscraper towering above us! In the evening, the humans all went out for dinner at a restaurant which Grizzly had read was where Mr Aickman and Mr Rolt (who founded the IWA) used to have dinner, when they were still friends. Polar asked if I would like to go, but there was plenty of cake left in the kitchen and I was feeling sleepy too, so I decided to stay in.
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We were going home the next day but still had time for one more adventure with our friends. The plan was to visit one of the tall buildings in the City of London which had a roof garden, for a view across London and elevenses, but it was Firefighters’ Memorial Day and there was a ceremony taking place at the Firefighters’ Memorial a little way from St Paul’s Cathedral. We stayed to see this, then went to find the roof garden – but it was closed, like lots of the funny-shaped buildings in the City of London, because they are banks and it was a Bank Holiday. But we went to a Victorian arcade called Leadenhall Market, where Grizzly found a pub in a cellar which was open, so we had beer and sandwiches instead of elevenses, because it was midday.
Then it was time to go home. We all hugged Mr Tom and Mrs Claudia and thanked them for inviting us to stay with them, and then made our way back to Euston. I looked out for the canals on the way home; the Regent’s Canal at Camden Locks just after leaving Euston, the Grand Union Canal after Watford, then the North Oxford and Coventry Canals (including Huddlesford’s Junction), the Trent and Mersey after Tamworth, the Middlewich Arm of the Shroppie on the way into Crewe [Ed: Oops!, got that wrong Sonning, as the Middlewich Arm is north of Crewe] and the orange water of the T&M and Uppie’s moorings as we came home. “I wonder where we’ll go boating next?” I thought. Article: Sonning Bear Photos: Sarah Honeysett Page 20
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VisitEngland graded 2-8 berth quality narrowboats. Weekly hire and short breaks available. Wide choice of excellent routes; E.g. Four Counties Ring, Caldon, Cheshire Ring. Beginners and experienced crews welcome; Full tuition given. Please ring for a brochure or visit: WWW.CANALCRUISING.CO.UK
Sonning helps out with Anne Chetwyn’s Lucky Dip
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The Swan Inn Stafford Street, Stone Two minutes from bridge 93 at Star Lock
Serving Real Ales & Scrumpy Cider Beer Garden
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North Staffordshire & South Cheshire contacts
If any of the roles shown as vacant interest you, please contact Alison Smedley for further information. President Roger Savage roger.st21@gmail.com Chair Sarah Honeysett 01782 772295 sarah.honeysett@waterways.org.uk Treasurer Alan Chetwyn (No Email)
07742 116959
Secretary Alison Smedley MBE 01538 385388 alison.smedley@waterways.org.uk Sales Officer VACANT Contact Alison Smedley Social Secretary Sarah Honeysett 01782 772295 sarah.honeysett@waterways.org.uk Publicity Officer + Website Editor Sarah Honeysett 01782 772295 + Julie Arnold publicity.nssc@waterways.org.uk Newsletter Editor Roger Evans 01606 834471 nssc-newsletter@outlook.com 10 Long Lane, Middlewich, Cheshire, CW10 0BL
Planning Officers Dave Broome (Stoke on Trent City Council only) 07974 966253 dave.broome@burslemport.org.uk David Clegg (Cheshire) 07429 151313 david@thecleggs.co.uk VACANT (all other areas) Membership Officer Mary Smith membership.nssc@waterways.org.uk Navigation Officer Jon Honeysett MBE 01782 772295 navigation.nssc@waterways.org.uk Heritage Champion Sarah Jones sarah.jones@waterways.org.uk Burslem Port Work Party Dave Broome 07974 966253 dave.broome@burslemport.org.uk Caldon + Uttoxeter Work Parties VACANT Contact Alison Smedley Cheshire Locks Work Party Tony Walker 07708 320470 walker.tony31@gmail.com
Stoke on Trent Boat Club Rep: Jason Burnham The Branch committee meets at 7:30 p.m. on the 2nd Tuesday of March, June, September & December. All Branch members are invited to attend. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Inland Waterways Association, or our Branch. They are, however, published as being of interest to members and readers. © The Inland Waterways Association - Registered as a charity no. 212342 www.waterways.org.uk/staffscheshire
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Join Us on a Canal Work Party
Our Branch runs 3 work parties each month, helping to maintain and restore our local canals :
Cheshire Locks (Trent & Mersey Canal, Kidsgrove to Wheelock) (jointly organised with the Trent and Mersey Canal Society) 3rd Thursday of each month (except December), 10am to 3pm. Contact: Tony Walker Phone: 07708 320470 Email: walker.tony31@gmail.com
Uttoxeter Canal (held in partnership with Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust). Currently paused in the absence of a work party organiser. If you are interested in getting involved please contact Alison Smedley Phone: 01538 385388 Email: alison.smedley@waterways.org.uk
Burslem Port, Stoke-on-Trent (working in partnership with Burslem Port Trust) Meet every Friday on Luke Street at 10:15 subject to the weather! Contact: Dave Broome before attending Phone: 07974 966253 Email: dave.broome@burslemport.org.uk
——————————–————-—————————-————— See the IWA website www.waterways.org.uk under “Events” for dates. Volunteers are advised to wear stout shoes and old clothes, and to bring waterproofs (and a packed lunch and drink if staying all day).
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